SOUTH AFRICA: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - WORLD CUP 2010: Dutch and Brazilian fans look forward to World Cup clash

Record ID: 455179

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - WORLD CUP 2010: Dutch and Brazilian fans look forward to World Cup clash
  • Date: 3rd July 2010
  • Summary: POLICE HELICOPTER
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3T08SCG785JJU7LA0VZZJL1FQ
  • Story Text: Dutch and Brazilian fans gather in Port Elizabeth for their World Cup quarter-final match at the city's Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
    Dutch and Brazilian fans on Friday (July 2) gathered in Port Elizabeth, South Africa for their World Cup quarter-final match at the city's Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
    It was a carnival atmosphere across the city as both sets of fans arrived in their national colours to celebrate reaching the last eight.
    At Port Elizabeth's St. George's cricket ground where a large screen had been set up for fans to watch the World Cup, Dutch fans gathered in a large group to sing and dance before travelling to the stadium in a convoy to watch the match.
    One Dutch fan, Peter, who had travelled with his wife and children to watch all the matches ,said he was sure this time the Dutch would win.
    "I think we're going to win tonight, because the last two games (against Brazil) we lost, in '94 we lost with 3 to 2, and then we lost 1-1 we lost with penalties, and now we're going to win," Peter said as he danced with his family, all dressed as pilots and air stewardesses known as "The Flying Dutchmen."
    Another Dutch fan Niels thought it would be a very close game as both teams have international stars.
    "It can be a tight game, both have good players, both good teams. One team has got Van Persie in it, Robben, the others got Kaka and Robinho so it's going to be an exciting match and I hope it's going to be 1-0 to The Netherlands." he said.
    Outside the stadium, Brazilian fans also believed the game would be very tight.
    "We hope that we win with a high score and continue from the match in the competition to the Semi-Final in Cape Town. Holland is a good team, third place in the FIFA rankings. So we think the match will be difficult but we hope that we will win," said Maurecio.
    Another Brazil fan, Fernando said that Brazil would win but it would be a hard match.
    "Of course Brazil will win, but for me it's the most difficult game of this year because they play very well, a very similar game. It's always a very hard game Brazil against Holland. I'm nervous," he said.
    Netherlands have won all four of their World Cup matches so far and Arjen Robben's early goal on his return from injury in their second round 2-1 win over Slovakia has given the team a major lift.
    Brazil, aiming to become world champions for a record sixth time, were in fine form in their 3-0 destruction of Chile in the second round last Monday (June 28).
    Friday's game will be the third time in the last five World Cups that the two teams have met in the knockout phase. Brazil won on both previous occasions, notching a 3-2 in the United States World Cup in 1994 and 4-2 on penalties in the semi-finals in France in 1998. Brazil's current coach Dunga was the team's captain in both of those matches.
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